Most Powerful Man
by Messed.Up.In.Potions.Yesterday
Summary: Nimueh has returned on the condition she returns the balance of the universe by handing over the most powerful man in Camelot. But is it who Uther thinks it should be? And how will Arthur react to Merlin's part in this? ONESHOT


**OneShot**

The King and his council were sitting at the table discussing tactics for the upcoming meeting with the King of a somewhat distant nation. Merlin was standing in the corner eyes trained on Arthur as he silently awaited any orders that may be directed toward him. Most of the knights were busily chattering, but Arthur looked bored. His opinion wasn't sought during this meeting, so he had nothing to do but sit and watch them talk. Boredom was not on his mind for long, because just as the meeting was reaching a close the door swung open.

A beautiful woman swept through the doors and they closed behind her bolting shut. Merlin felt as though he'd been dunked into a bath of ice water. She couldn't be here. She'd died at his hand a long time ago. But there was no one else it could be. Those chilling blue eyes and bright red lips could belong to no one but Nimueh.

"Hello, Uther," she greeted waving her hand. Everyone in a chair was instantly stuck to it with no way of attacking the sorceress. "I've come to make a proposition with you. You should be quite interested in it."

Uther glared at her, "I would never consort with you or any of your kind. You are evil."

She laughed, a light tinkling laugh that didn't fit the harsh glare in her eyes. "Oh, but Uther that's what I'm offering. If you agree to my terms, then you will never have to deal with magic again. I will personally keep all magic from your kingdom. Being a Priestess of the Old Religion people tend to listen to me."

"What do you want?" Arthur was the one to speak this time. "You obviously want something of high value if your offering that."

She smiled at Uther, "I hardly doubt that Uther will mind paying the price. Very few people will be affected by the loss I'm sure. Maybe you weren't aware, but I was murdered a while back. The Old Religion is giving me three days to return the balance to the Universe before they take my life force away. They'll only except the life of the most powerful man to live. So give me him, and I shall go."

Uther glared, "You want me to give you my life on the word of a sorceress?"

No one expected the words to next leave her lips. "You flatter yourself. You are not the man I want. I've come to request that Emrys leave this castle and go to the cave where he has hidden the Great Dragon. Both must die at the hand of Emrys."

"You are crazy. There is no Emrys here, and I killed the dragon, the last dragon."

Nimueh gave Arthur a pitying look, then her gaze flickered to Merlin for half a second. No one noticed that Lancelot had been staring at the young servant since Nimueh had begun speaking. "To think he was willing to trade his life for yours, and he still hasn't told the truth. It's a good thing I didn't honor my agreement, or you would probably never know."

Arthur stared at her, "Know what? Who are you talking about?"

"Emrys, you have to decide. If you do not agree then I will begin a siege upon Camelot," Nimueh said with a soft smile.

Merlin stared at her before speaking. "How could you ask for the death of the dragon? You're supposed to be on magic's side. You're ordering genocide of an ancient and magic race."

Everyone's eyes flew to Merlin, appalled that a servant was speaking in a moment of such crisis. "Kilgharrah is almost as loyal to you as you are to the Prince. Should I order your death only then he will seek vengeance on me, and I am aware that only you have the capabilities to pacify a dragon."

"Wait," Arthur shouted. "Why are you talking to _Mer_lin as if he plays a role in this?"

Both Nimueh and Merlin ignored the Prince. "You are asking me to kill a friend and to wipe an entire race from the Earth at once. I cannot do that. I killed you once, what it is to stop me from doing it again?" Merlin asked her starting around the table.

"Try anything and I will kill the Prince and the knight that knows who you truly are," Nimueh told him moving closer to Arthur.

"Wait!" Arthur screamed once again. "You're acting as if _Merlin _is this Emrys. He can't be. It's a miracle that he's even alive with his inability to do, well, _anything!"_

Merlin just rolled his eyes. The sorceress reached out to touch Arthur's arm. "No, not a miracle. Magic. Merlin has been acting as your protector since he arrived in Camelot. If it weren't for him, you'd have died long ago."

"But, Merlin is incapable of doing simple tasks," Arthur pressed, almost desperately.

Finally, Merlin sighed. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I couldn't ask you to choose between myself and the law. Nimueh, allow me to talk to Kilgharrah and I will order him not to attack. Then I will kill myself, but if I do you must swear to uphold your half of the deal. If you don't my dragon will kill you."

Arthur struggled against the binds, "Merlin, don't be ridiculous. I still refuse to believe that you can possibly be all powerful."

"No," Nimueh said, directing her comment to Merlin disregarding Arthur as if he were a vermin whose sounds of protest were impossible to decipher, "Kilgharrah must die for it to be valid."

Merlin sighed, "Then I'm afraid we have no deal."

"Very well," Nimueh replied in a casual, conversational manner. The hall shuddered as she shrieked a spell toward Merlin whose hands flew up to block the ball of light hurtling toward him. Arthur fell slack as the shock of seeing Merlin's eyes light up gold hit him. His goofy, klutzy, moronic, chatterbox of a friend was a sorcerer.

Merlin shot back a spell, a burst of green light shot toward the woman who was advancing on Arthur and threw her back.

"You're Prince will pay dearly for your resistance." Before she could reach Arthur, she was lifted from her feet once more and slammed into a wall. "Emrys, we could have been so powerful together. We could have brought the downfall of Camelot, and the rise of magic." She shot another spell at Merlin this time hitting him in the gut. Only a moment passed before he regained his composure from the blow.

"That wasn't my destiny," Merlin told her. "It's time that you returned to where you last were." His eyes flashed gold as he muttered words that no one in the room could make sense of. Storm clouds filled the ceiling and a single bolt of lightning fell from them striking Nimueh dead. With a puff of smoke she vanished leaving a room of shocked men, drenched men as rain began to pelt from the sky.

Uther was the first to speak as he rose from his chair. "Magic! You are under arrested for the act of treason against the crown in the form of magic."

"No, Father," Arthur snapped. "Merlin has saved us all, and apparently he has done it before. We need to honor him, not penalize him. He was willing to hand over his life for our safety. Maybe, it is time to re-evaluate your stance on magic."

Merlin smiled gratefully at his friend. Then the pain reached him. Falling to the ground, he clutched his stomach where the spell had hit. Blisters erupted across the skin, flaking the skin away. Merlin's body was slowly disintegrating from around the wound. As he collapsed to the floor, his body glowed gold and he fell limp. Quickly Arthur called for someone to get Gaius, as he pulled his friend to him and place a hand over his nose to check if he was breathing. Clutching at his wrist he felt the soft thud of Merlin's heartbeat. It slowed until it was almost not there, but without warning ti began thudding faster than should be possible. Merlin's eyes fluttered open as it dropped back to a steady beat.

"You're digging your nails into my wrist, clotpole," Merlin said with a grin.

Arthur laughed and helped his friend sat up. "So, I guess I owe you a thank you for saving my life?"

"I think you owe me several."


End file.
